APSU Sports Information

Muscle Shoals, AL – Austin Peay State University senior golfer Marco Iten will advance to the NCAA Regional but unfortunately without his teammates.

Iten, who was leading at 8-under (68-68=136) after the Ohio Valley Conference championship second round, was declared medalist late Sunday afternoon after rains and lightning twice halted the event, being played at The Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals.

It was stopped before the final three groups—Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky and eventual champion Jacksonville State—could complete the minimum final-round nine championship holes for 45 total.

The league medalist, if not a member of the championship team, earns an automatic qualifier position.

The Governors were not enjoying a good day early Sunday in their bid to repeat as league tourney champion as they were 6-over par during their short time on the course.

Iten not only claimed OVC Championship Medalist—it was his third medalist honor this spring—but also was voted the OVC Golfer of the Year in a vote of league coaches. In addition, earlier this week he was chosen All-OVC for a third straight time.

It is the third straight year APSU has been represented in the NCAA Regional. In 2012, Anthony Bradley was the OVC Medalist and participated in the NCAA Regional in Bowling Green, KY. Last year, the Governors won the OVC crown and participated in the NCAA Tempe Regional. As a result, it will be the second straight year Iten will be playing in an NCAA Regional–he finished with a 3-under 207 and tied for 13th in Tempe.

The Niederlatt, Switzerland native will become only the fourth Governor to participate in the NCAA Regional as an individual, joining Craig Rudolph (1987), Grant Leaver (2008) and Bradley (2012).

“Obviously we were trying to pull it out as a team, trying to make a comeback,” APSU coach Kirk Kayden said. “But Mother Nature didn’t allow us to complete the last 11 or 12 holes or so.

“But Marco winning the individual is pretty exciting. He has had a wonderful spring. To win OVC Player of the Year and the OVC tournament—it was his third win of the year—he has had just an amazing run. It is just wonderful for him and we are excited about having a representative in a regional again—that’s three years in a row.”

The 2014 field will be announced Monday, May 5th, on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive program that airs from 9:00am-10:00am. The NCAA Regionals will be held May 15th-17th and take place at six sites – Auburn, AL; Raleigh, NC; Columbia, MO; San Antonio, Texas; Eugene, OR, and Sugar Grove, IL.

Following the Regionals, the National Championship will be held May 23rd-28th at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, KS.